Best Luau

[Firepath]

We'll be on the Pride of America cruise in October. What is the best Luau on which island given the times in port on this cruise?

If we're in port over night, can we get back on the ship at any time the night before the ship departs?

[KeepCalmBearOn]

I don't like commercial luaus, anytime I am in town I look for a church or local community luau. Unfortunately those are once a year things, so a lot of luck is involved.

 

The commercial luau I've been to the most is the Hale Koa Luau in Waikiki, I like it for a lot of reasons, unfortunately you need to be retired or active duty military or have a sponsor for it, as it is part of the Armed Forces Recreation Center Waikiki.

 

So....  if I HAD to go to a standard commercial luau right now it would be Nutridge. It is smaller than the others and more intimate. The other three that are most popular are Chief's Luau and Paradise Cove (both near Kapolei ) and the Polynesian Cultural Center out in Laie.

 

If getting back to the ship is a concern, book the ship's excursion.

[Beachiekeen]

Yes to your second question, you can come and go all you want during the overnight stays.  You could book the Old Lahaina Luau on day 1 on Maui, it is generally thought to be one of the best on Hawaii.  Alot of people also like Smith's Family Luau on Kauai (but not sure when they stop--I know it is not available on our early November cruise).  I am doing a land vacation to Kauai next year and we are going to do Smith's.  I generally don't care for luaus either but when in Rome...

 

The PP gave you suggestions for Oahu which only work if you are spending time there pre or post cruise.

[alliecat44]

Pre-cruise, I booked what turned out to be the Queen Kapiolani hotel for two nights. It's right near Diamondhead, so I booked the Diamondhead Luau before the cruise so that I would have cruise ports/times open for other activities. It has pretty decent reviews and fire dancers, which was a priority for me. We'll see how it goes! 

[cccole]

37 minutes ago, alliecat44 said:

Pre-cruise, I booked what turned out to be the Queen Kapiolani hotel for two nights. It's right near Diamondhead, so I booked the Diamondhead Luau before the cruise so that I would have cruise ports/times open for other activities. It has pretty decent reviews and fire dancers, which was a priority for me. We'll see how it goes! 

We really enjoyed the Queen Kapiolani a couple years ago.  Their pool deck has fabulous views of Diamond Head, Queen Kapiolani Park, and the ocean.  Try to get a room on a high floor with a view of Diamond Head.  Your luau will be fun and easy to get to.  Plus they have beach chairs you can take down for a few hours on the beach.  And, our favorite restaurant, Lulus, is next door.  Have fun,  Cherie

Edited July 18, 2019 by cccole

[princeton123211]

Also worth an honorable mention is the Drums of the Pacific at the Hyatt on Kaanapali Beach. It's unique in that it's more of a Polynesian review rather than a specifically Hawaiian luau. Would be something to consider if you've seen a luau before and we're looking for something slightly different. Its usually the one we bring guests to when we visit Maui. 

[rtread]

After extensive googling we chose Luau Kalamuku on Kauai.....  https://luaus.org/product/luau-kalamaku/?utm_source=Bing-Yahoo&utm_medium=PPC&utm_term=ALL&utm_content=HawaiiZip&utm_campaign=All

 

Don't know if it's the best because neither of us has been to a luau but this one fit our itinerary well and reviews were favorable.

[Cindy]

7 hours ago, rtread said:

After extensive googling we chose Luau Kalamuku on Kauai.....  https://luaus.org/product/luau-kalamaku/?utm_source=Bing-Yahoo&utm_medium=PPC&utm_term=ALL&utm_content=HawaiiZip&utm_campaign=All

 

Don't know if it's the best because neither of us has been to a luau but this one fit our itinerary well and reviews were favorable.

 

I thought we were going to do Smith Family, but we’re now leaning towards doing the seated Plantation dinner version of this through the ship. We both detest buffets but we want to experience a luau, so a seated dinner with front row seats for the performance seems like a great option. This will probably be the only thing we do through the ship. It’s expensive, but we will get a $50 credit so when all is said and done the cost will be pretty comparable to doing Smith’s with transportation and the Fern Grotto.

[alliecat44]

Thank you so much for the wonderful suggestions, cccole!!! 

[SeafordCruiser]

On 7/20/2019 at 6:56 AM, rtread said:

After extensive googling we chose Luau Kalamuku on Kauai.....  https://luaus.org/product/luau-kalamaku/?utm_source=Bing-Yahoo&utm_medium=PPC&utm_term=ALL&utm_content=HawaiiZip&utm_campaign=All

 

Don't know if it's the best because neither of us has been to a luau but this one fit our itinerary well and reviews were favorable.

Looks great but unfortunately it is not done when the Pride of America is in port....Thanks

M

[rtread]

59 minutes ago, SeafordCruiser said:

Looks great but unfortunately it is not done when the Pride of America is in port....Thanks

M

Not quite following you....we are on POA August 24-31, and we make port at Nawiliwili, Kauai on the 29th for an overnighter, ship leaving the next afternoon at 2:00 PM. Our luau is scheduled for the evening of the 29th. Is your cruise itinerary different? (I thought they were all the same)

[Silver Sweethearts]

6 hours ago, rtread said:

Not quite following you....we are on POA August 24-31, and we make port at Nawiliwili, Kauai on the 29th for an overnighter, ship leaving the next afternoon at 2:00 PM. Our luau is scheduled for the evening of the 29th. Is your cruise itinerary different? (I thought they were all the same)

 

This from a Luau Kalamaku website:

 

"Experience a Hawaiian luau on Kauai like no other with our three great packages designed to give you the most out of your Luau Kalamaku adventure. The luau is operated every Tuesday and Friday. Join us for a night filled with fire dancers, graceful hula and delicious food all under the beautiful tropical Kauai night skies".

 

[SeafordCruiser]

Yes we are there Thursday morning till Friday afternoon. Cruise ends Saturday. Their luau is Tuesday or Friday’s so it doesn’t fit into NCL itinerary. I don’t quite understand how it fits yours unless you booked something thru the cruise ship not the luaus site

Marcy

[rtread]

34 minutes ago, SeafordCruiser said:

Yes we are there Thursday morning till Friday afternoon. Cruise ends Saturday. Their luau is Tuesday or Friday’s so it doesn’t fit into NCL itinerary. I don’t quite understand how it fits yours unless you booked something thru the cruise ship not the luaus site

Marcy

Yes I did book it through the cruise ship and they happily took my money. I checked the reservation and it says Thursday. I'll call them and see what the deal is.....

[rtread]

OK here's the deal. Talked to the lady at the Luau Kalamuku and she said on Thursday they have a luau just for the POA and it has to be booked through the concierge on the ship. We booked that and the plantation train ride as an excursion on the website.  I asked the lady if they had food and drinks and she laughed and laughed. 😊

[B-52]

We Booked the "Old Lahina Luau" on our first day in Maui.

Is very highly rated, some people say  it is possibly the best Luau in the State of Hawaii.

We are renting a car, will explore Maui on our own eventually ending in Lahina. From there we will go to the Luau, afterwards drive back to the airport to return the car before they close at 11pm.

[essgee_ca]

We are in Oahu for two days before the cruise and I was thinking of perhaps trying to see a luau.  I heard Germaine's is really good (and is in Kapolei relatively near our hotel).  The question is, do I really need to see a luau?  Is it just one of those things for tourists?  They seem quite pricey.  Is it worth it? Advice please!

[KeepCalmBearOn]

No you don't need to see a commercial luau.

 

The Chief's Luau is the highest rated luau in Kapolei, Paradise Cove is #2, Germaine's #3.